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Self-feeding question

TobieRoseTobieRose member
in Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months

My 13 month old loves to feed himself using his hands (he LOVES eating a whole banana by himself), but he doesn't use a spoon yet or seem to get the concept of feeding himself with one. Sometimes he really seems to want the spoon when we're feeding him, but if I give it to him all he does with it is bang it on his highchair and wave it enthusiastically around. 

I'm sure it varies quite a bit, but when did your LO start to at least try to feed themselves with a spoon? Did you have to sit down and teach them or did they just pick it up by watching others eat?

We have another LO due in November and I'm sure he'll have learned by then, but I have visions of two littles both needing me to spoon their foods into their mouths. :-P  

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Re: Self-feeding question

  • melissa0726melissa0726 member
    DD is 21 months old.  I offer her utensils regularly, and she might use them about half the time.  I'd say she really started to enjoy and prefer using them for some foods (yogurt, applesauce) about four months ago.  Other than the occasional yogurt (because we were eating on the go), it's been months (maybe 8?) since I've spoon fed her at all.  She just feeds herself.
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  • namara5532namara5532 member
    DS uses his spoon backwards at the moment, and he's almost 16 months.  He'll sometimes let me help him get the food on the spoon, but often he'll hold the spoon with one hand and eat with the other.  I'm not concerned about it yet.  He'll do it when he's ready.
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  • michelle7482michelle7482 member
    My daughter is 15 months and just started using the spoon if I put the food on it and give it to her. She can't gather her own food yet.

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  • chardonnay24chardonnay24 member
    My son has always been really good with food because he's always loved it. If I loaded a spoon for him, he could make it to his mouth, or near his mouth, well before 12 months. At 16 months, he was proficient with a spoon and a fork. He still uses his hands fairly often at 27 months, though.
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  • meg_2006meg_2006 member
    Around 15 months DS would start to refuse being spoon-fed on occasion.  We quickly figured out he wanted to do it himself.  He's pretty good for his age right now, but still gets frustrated and gives up after about 5 min. when he realizes it's quicker to just use his hands :)

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  • boogerbearoriginalboogerbearoriginal member

    Like PPs, we gave LO spoon/fork from the get-go (did BLW so LO has always self-fed although we helped with stuff like loading the spoon with applesauce/yogurt when he asked).

    He was good with a spoon by 12m, and fork a few months after. We never explicitly taught him, just let him practice and he figured it out. 

    IMO if you give them the tools and time kids will figure it out. So keep giving him a spoon, he'll get it. 

    ETA - LO still will use his hands too. 



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  • palm513palm513 member
    We didn't start giving LOs a fork until around 10 months, and then we showed them how to use it and let them just hold it and do what ever they wanted. At 12 months we put a little bit of peanut butter on the spoon when they ate cereal and it really helped them get it to their mouths. Although they are way better at stabbing things with forks, and bringing it to their mouth. 
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